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British music gets its act together for a good cause

The vanguard of British music are joining forces to help fight the refugee crisis, and they're willing to make a lot of noise about it. As Alt-J, Years & Years, Wolf Alice, Slaves et al step up for a one-off charity gig, consider this your call to arms.

O Sunday 4 and Monday 5 December, Kamio nightclub in Shoreditch is playing host to Bands 4 Refugees, an all-star charity gig in aid of the global refugee crisis. The show will feature performances from Grammy-nominated, nouveau-Grunge darlings Wolf Alice, alongside members of Slaves, Swim Deep, Years & Years, the Vaccines and Alt-J, to name a few. The vanguard of British rock music have something to say – and they won't be quiet about it.

The event has been organised by Ellie Rowsell and Theo Ellis from Wolf Alice, Hannah Abel-Hirsch, and Swim Deep’s Austin Williams, who explains their motivations: “We decided to get off our idle arses and raise some money for the refugee crisis because we can and should. It’s our duty to energise and inspire.” All proceeds from the show go to Help Refugees, a grassroots humanitarian organisation that was formed last year as a response to the refugee crisis.

“There has been a shocking lack of compassion shown towards refugees,” says Wolf Alice frontwoman Ellie Rowsell, who has organised the event, “I wanted to create an event that brought us all together to let people know that we stand in solidarity with refugees and welcome them here.”

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Jono White

Since the closure of the Calais Jungle in October, Help Refugees has been providing essential aid in Paris and Dunkirk. The organisation also aims to send supplies like warm clothes, hygiene products and cooking stoves to Syria, Greece or Lebanon every month, to help improve the quality of life of millions of refugees while they remain displaced. According to the UN, there are an estimated 63.5 million people now living as refugees, a number unseen since the Second World War.

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“The degree to which the refugee crisis has become a political football is really depressing,” says Gus Unger-Hamilton from Alt-J. “Anybody in the public eye should do what they can to highlight disasters like this and draw attention to efforts to help alleviate them.” The approach of winter heightens the need for aid, and Bands 4 Refugees will be part of a series of events taking place during December, all of which are in aid of Help Refugees’ Choose Love winter campaign.

The event has garnered lots of attention from excited fans, eager to see all of their favourite bands playing under one roof. The show was originally being held on only one date, but after selling out within an hour, the organisers were compelled to add another performance.

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“The show is a good way for people who aren't used to supporting charities to pay support by going to a gig, which is something they’re used to,” says Dream Wife’s Rakel. Peace drummer Dominic reckons that “as much as people love to diss the Bono routine, it’s important for musicians to use their position to spread positive and progressive messages.“ The Choose Love campaign hopes to not only raise funds to aid refugees, but also to increase awareness and encourage empathy for the crisis.

"The refugee crisis has become a political football" - Gus, Alt-J

But preparing one-off covers alongside writing, recording and touring hasn’t been completely smooth sailing. “Theo from Wolf Alice is on the verge of a nervous breakdown learning all these covers,” says Superfood guitarist Ryan, “And we’ve been running around London searching for congas!” Bloody Knees frontman Bradley Griffiths has promised a ridiculous Nineties boy band dance routine, and Austin Williams from Swim Deep is holding out for a 40-minute Kanye-style speech from bassist and Burberry model Cavan McCarthy.

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All those involved in Bands 4 Refugees hope their participation will encourage others to find a way of supporting the cause. “It’s about having the awareness and motivation to do something,” says Jack Kaye from The Magic Gang. Gus Unger-Hamilton from Alt-J agrees, “Most people get their news from social media now, rightly or wrongly. Making a sustained effort to post and share stories relating to the refugee crisis reminds people that this is an ongoing problem.”

Austin Williams hopes the event will be part of a much bigger movement to action, and urges everyone to “buy tickets to fundraisers, donate money, go and volunteer if you’re able to, and write to your local MP telling them how awfully you think the government is dealing with the refugee crisis.”

Bands 4 Refugees will take place on the 4th and 5th of December. You can donate by going to Bands 4 Refugees. Visit Help Refugees for more information.